1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to pet dishes, and, more particularly, to pet dishes that are especially adapted for being disposable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Dishes specially adapted for use with pets are well known in the art. In addition, throughout the years, a number of innovations have been developed relating to disposable pet dishes, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,257,353, 4,428,325, 4,587,930, 4,800,845, and 4,949,678. More specifically, U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,353 discloses a disposable pet dish that includes a skeleton-like frame for receiving and holding a disposable pet dish. The skeleton-like frame may be relatively lightweight resulting in less than optimum stability for the disposable pet dish. In this respect, it would be desirable if a disposable pet dish were provided with a support that is not skeleton-like and that provides optimum stability for the disposable pet dish.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,325 discloses a disposable pet dish that fits into a bowl-like base. The disposable pet dish has a large upper lip that fits over the top of the bowl-like base and extends downward along a portion of the side of the base. The outside surface of the base has grooves that receive complementary flange portions of the disposable pet dish. The engagement of the flange portions of the disposable pet dish with the grooves of the base provide a locking action between the disposable pet dish and the base. To provide for greater economy and simplicity in a disposable pet dish, it would be desirable if a disposable pet dish engages with its base on an inside portion of the base. Such an inside the base engagement would eliminate the need for a large upper lip in a disposable pet dish that fits over the top of a bowl-like base and that extends downward along a portion of the side of the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,587,930 discloses a disposable pet dish which is supported by a base which is fixed to a wall. To provide greater flexibility of use, it would be desirable if a disposable pet dish were provided with a base that is freely moved from one location to another.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,845 discloses a disposable pet dish that fits into a base. The base has two disposable pet dish reception wells side by side. Although having two pet dish reception wells side by side may be desirable under some circumstances, there are other circumstances when a single, free standing disposable pet dish received in a single, free standing base would be desirable. Moreover, no lid is provided for this disposable pet dish. There are times when not all of the pet food is eaten, and it would be desirable to have a lid that fits over the disposable pet dish so that the leftover food can be preserved.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,949,678 discloses a disposable pet dish that is received in a base that has an adhesive patch on the bottom of the base. The adhesive patch is provided to give greater stability of the base to a surface upon which the base sits. If the surface upon which the base sits is wet, such an adhesive patch will most likely be ineffective. Moreover, the adhesive may stick to the surface, and time and effort may have to be expended to remove adhesive that sticks to a surface. In this respect, it would be desirable if a base for a disposable pet dish were provided that does not include an adhesive patch for affixing the base to a supporting surface.
Still other features would be desirable in a disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus. For example, for purposes of economy in using storage space, it would be desirable if a disposable pet dish were provided which is readily nestable and stackable with respect to other disposable pet dishes. In this way, a large number of disposable pet dishes can be stored, taking up a minimum of storage space.
As stated above, there are circumstances when having two pet dish bases side by side may be desirable, and there are other circumstances when a single, free standing disposable pet dish received in a single, free standing base would be desirable. In this respect, it would be desirable if single, free standing bases were modular and could be linked together to form a combined unit having two pet dish reception bases side by side.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use disposable pet dishes, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides a support that is not skeleton-like and that provides optimum stability for the disposable pet dish; (2) provides a disposable pet dish which engages with its base on an inside portion of the base; (3) provides a base that can be freely moved from one location to another; (4) provides a single, free standing disposable pet dish that is received in a single, free standing base; (5) provides a lid for a disposable pet dish; (6) does not include an adhesive patch for affixing the base to a supporting surface; (7) is readily nestable and stackable with respect to other disposable pet dishes; and (8) provides modular single, free standing bases that can be linked together to form a combined unit having two pet dish reception bases side by side. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a pet dish apparatus which includes a dish-shaped base unit which has a first dish lock portion and includes a dish member received in the dish-shaped base unit. The dish member includes a second dish lock portion which is engageable with the first dish lock portion. The dish member is received in the dish-shaped base unit in a nesting manner. Preferably, the first dish lock portion is in a form of an annular groove, and the second dish lock portion is in a form of an annular tongue that fits into the annular groove.
The dish member includes a material reception region defined by a dish floor and a dish wall which extends upward from the dish floor. An annular peripheral top ring extends outward from the dish wall. The dish-shaped base unit includes a top ring-reception surface for receiving the top ring of the dish member.
Preferably, the dish wall includes a plurality of inwardly extending hollow hemispherical dish wall bulge portions, wherein each dish wall bulge portion includes an inner convex dish wall bulge surface and an outer concave dish wall bulge surface.
Preferably, the dish-shaped base unit includes a plurality of inner convex base unit wall bulges which fit into the outer concave dish wall bulge surfaces when the dish-shaped base unit receives the dish member. A plurality of the dish members are nestable with respect to each other during storage. A lid is provided for fitting tightly onto the top ring of the dish member.
With another embodiment of the invention, base-to-base interconnection means are provided for connecting a first pet dish apparatus to a second pet dish apparatus. The base-to-base interconnection means can be a dish member including an annular peripheral top ring in a form of a figure-eight.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining at least two preferred embodiments of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of:the present invention to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus available to the buying public.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus which provides a support that is not skeleton-like and that provides optimum stability for the disposable pet dish.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus that provides a disposable pet dish which engages with its base on an inside portion of the base.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus which provides a base that can be freely moved from one location to another.
Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus that provides a single, free standing disposable pet dish that is received in a single, free standing base.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus having a lid therefor to enhance portability and storage.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus that does not include an adhesive patch for affixing the base to a supporting surface.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus which is readily nestable and stackable with respect to other disposable pet dishes.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved disposable insert containing pet dish apparatus that provides modular single, free standing bases that can be linked together to form a combined unit having two pet dish reception bases side by side.
These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.